Now Available: Paradigm Flip

Leading People, Teams, and Organizations Beyond the Social Media Revolution

About the Book

Nobody’s really addressed the impact, opportunity and demand for greater leadership through digital social media. I wrote this book to fill that gap. You see, great leadership principles are timeless. Yet how we practice those principles must evolve with our environment. Consider this:

Would Hitler rise to such power in the world of authenticity and transparency established by social media?

How would Abraham Lincoln use social media tools available today?

How will you use social media to advance your mission?

In Paradigm Flip I address questions like these with one goal in mind: helping you be a better leader for those you serve. I do this n several unique ways – explained in the brief synopsis below.

Book Synopsis

Section 1: IntroductionI open the book with a personal story, revealing the risks and implications when leadership fails to invest in social media.

Section 2: Social Media
In this section, I give a brief history of social media and debunk several myths. There’s also a unique story on the influence and power of social media. I close by defining the timeless principles of social media. This sets the terminology for the remainder of the book.

Section 3: Leading PeopleHere I explain the eras of leadership communication throughout history to the present. Next, there’s an introduction to the concept of “veneer identities” (credit Amy Jo Martin for coining this term). I wrap up the section with a deep dive on the role of trust, through a framework introduced by Stephen M.R. Covey’s work, as it applies to leaders online.

Section 4: Your Platform
This section includes a review of publishing history, as it relates to leaders. Then I define the three models of leadership platforms today: Stronghold, Spider Web, and Hub and Spoke. I explain each of these models, including the pros and cons for you to consider.

Section 5: Your Principles
This is the heart of the matter. While great leadership principles are timeless, understanding what they are and how to implement them online is the core of this book. Here I take the unique angle of comparing and contrasting leadership principles applied in the American Revolution, with examples in the contemporary, social media revolution. In each case, I provide positive and negative examples.

Section 6: Your Organization
With a personal foundation in place, most executives want answers to some organizational matters. In this section I provide an overview to get you started on topics such as change management, communication policies, legal concerns and more.

Section 7: Closing
A brief review of key concepts is captured.

FeaturesEach section includes QR codes (Quick Response) you can scan with your smart phone to link to additional content here. In addition, I include a series of questions for reflection at the end of each section. These could be used for your own reflection or as part of a book study group.

About the Author

I recognize the unique dovetail of servant leadership principles with social media opportunities and the benefits others can derive from it. I wrote Paradigm Flip to help you better serve those you lead.

I’m a follower of Christ, husband to a great wife and father to two amazing boys. I’m also accountable for web, ecommerce and social media technology at the great, servant-led company, Herman Miller. If you want to learn more about me, check out the “MSL About” page.

Praise for Paradigm Flip

“Leadership has always been rooted in trust and communication. But today, the methods and mechanisms by which those attributes are acquired have manifestly changed. In this spot-on and actionable book, Ben Lichtenwalner demonstrates how social media doesn’t imperil leadership, it accentuates it. Highly recommended.”

– Jay Baer, New York Times best selling author of Youtility

“Gone are the days when you could simply delegate your social media to a random intern. We’re living though a communications revolution and you’ve got to personally understand what’s happening so you deliver the social media leadership required to grow your brand and build your company. Paradigm Flip shows you how with interesting examples throughout.”

– David Meerman Scott, bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR, now in over 25 languages from Bulgarian to Vietnamese.

“Any leader today, who is confused by technology and it’s applicability to their responsibilities and organizations, should read this book. Buy two and do yourself a favor — give one to your boss.”

– Charlene Li, Author of Open Leadership and Founder of Altimeter Group

“Ben gets it. He understands what great service and leadership is all about and provides a guide for contemporary leaders to leverage technology for the benefit of their organizations. Paradigm Flip is a must read for modern servant leaders.”

“The enthusiasm with which entertainers, sports stars and politicians have embraced social networks to engage with their constituents makes the absence of business leaders all the more disturbing. Forget the spreadsheets and ROI calculations; the value of social media is in human connections. Ben Lichtenwalner makes a compelling case for social media engagement using the language of servant leadership that business executives will understand. This book is going to turn some heads.”

– Paul Gillin, Author: The New Influencers and Attack of the Customers